Broom-machine.



W. F. McCLAINE.

BROOM MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 22. I916.

17,235,349. Patentad July 31, 1917.

2-SHEETSSHEET 2.

Fi g 12 2a a gfrir C- ITED STATES Arena OFFICE.

WILLIAM F. MCCLAINE, OF MASON CITY, IOWA, ASSIGNOR T BETTER BROOM COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF IOWA.

Application filed November 22, 1916.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM F. Mo- OLAINE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Mason City, in the county of Cerro Gordo and State, of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Broom-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certainnew and useful improvements in broom machines.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a broom machine of improved construction that is extremely simple in point of operation and including comparatively few working parts and one that is not liable to serious damage to the different. parts thereof.

A further object of the invention is to provide a broom machine in which the corn 2o strands or fibers are compressed into intimate relationship and so retained for a predetermined period of time as may be desired.

With the present form of invention, all

wire and cord lacing through the corn strands is abolished and the corn strands held in engagement with the broom handle by the adhesive coating and also by a fibrous sheet covering for the head of the broom which is forced to adhere thereto by the clamping members of the machine.

Tit-h these general objects in view and others that will appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and then claimed.

In the drawings forming a part of this application and in which like designating characters refer to corresponding parts throughout the several views- Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the broom machine constructed in accordance with the present invention, the broom fibers being in position to be compressed with the fabric head covering therefor removed for Y purposes of illustration.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view simllar to Fig. 1 with the machine in closed clamping position.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view thereof partially broken away to show the method of building up the broom in the machine.

Specification of Letters Patent.

BROOM-MACHINE.

Patented July 31, 1917.

Serial No. 132,820.

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken on line IVIV of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of the clamping plates removed from the machine with a broom head clamped between the same.

Fig. 6 is a top plan View of a portion of a broom disclosing the manner of forming the head thereof, the fabric covering for the head being shown in' blank form.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a portion of the broom handle showing the end received in the broom fibers.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the fabric covering for the broom head.

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of a metal cap insertible over the upper end of the broom, and,

Fig. 10 is a side elevational view. of a broom head in completed form.

Referring more in detail to the accompanying drawings, the reference numerals 11 and 12 designate lower and upper clamping bars respectively, which are pivotally connected at their rear ends as by straps 13 positioned at opposite sides thereof. The bottom face of the lower clamping bar 11 has connected thereto a pair of angle brackets 14 between which is pivoted as at 15 one end of an operating lever 16. A cross rod 17 is carried by the operating lever 16 at a point spaced from the pivotal connection 15 and the opposite ends of the cross rod 17 are connected to the opposite sides of the upper clamping bar 12 by the links 18. A counterweight 19 is associated with the upper clamping bar 12 and the ceiling structure 20 in a manner to hold the clamping bar 12 elevated in the position shown in Fig. 1. By lowering the operating lever 16 to the position shown in Fig. 2, the connecting links 18 will hold the clamping bar 12 against the power of the weight 19 to the position shown in Fig. 2.

The broom forming elements of the device are particularly related to the lower clamping bar 11, the upper face of the bar 11 adjacent the outer end thereof being provided with a guide frame 21 having cutaway side openings 22 and a curved inner end 23 with a central opening 24: for the passage of a broom handle. The guide frame is of U-shape as shown in Fig. 3 so that the free ends of the strands of the corn fibers Elf) project through the open end thereof while the closed end of the guide frame gives the desired curvature to the head of the broom. In constructing a broom, the lower clamping plate shown in Fig. 5 is first laid upon the clamping bar 11 with the laterally projecting fingers 26 carried by the side edges thereof. positioned through. the side openings-22 of the guide frame 21, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 to 3. The fabric broom head covering QT shown inwdetail in Fig. 8 is next laid upon the, clamping plate 25 and a quantity of broom fiber 28, as corn, positioned as shown in Fig. '2 upon the fabric 27. It is to be understood that the corn fibers are to be dipped into an asphalt container so that each strand thereof will be thorougl ily coated, previous to being positioned upon the fabric 27. The broom handle 29 is then laid upon the broom fiber 28 with the handle portion thereof positioned between the'guide blocks 11, int-he position shown in Figs. 3 and 6, the broom handle 29 having the inner end thereof tapered as at 30 which will prevent unneces,

sary spreading of the corn fibers while angularly disposed spikes 31 and alined trans verse spikes 32 project from opposite sides of the broom handle 29 to be embedded in the broom fiber, which obviates the use of lacing wires orstrands through the broom fiber. Another quantity of broom fiber which has been dipp ed in asphalt or other adhesive solution is then positioned upon the handle 2-9 as shown in Fig. l, and when so arranged the ends of the fabric strip 27 are folded about the corn fibers so that the ends thereof are arranged in overlapped position. n5 reference to Figs. 6- and 8 it will be seen that 'a wire strand 33 is laced through the fabric strip 27 and. by the provision of this wire, the fibers of the broom head are held in a more secure position.

hen the ends of the fabric strip 2'? are moved to overlapping position, the upper clampingplate 3% is positioned thereon, this plate bei'ngof the same dimensions as the plate 25 and including laterally projecting end pins 35 upon which are swingingly mounted ratchet bars 36.

\Vith the upper clamping plate 3%. positioned as described, the operating lever 16 is lowered and the clamping plate 3st is moved downwardly to compress the corn fibers and force the same into intimate contact as well as substantially combining therewith the fabric covering 27, and during such operation, the ratchet bars have moved over the fingers 26 and been retained in the] desired position. Upon releasing pressure on the lever 16 the weight 19 will elevate the. upper clamping bar 12 and leave the clamping plates in their locked position as shown inFig. 2, at which time the clamp ing plates with the brooms compressed between the same may be removed from the clamping bar 11 and placed in a desired manner until the same is dried or set to the desired extent.

hen the clamping plates 25 and 34 are removed from the broom, it will be found that the fabric covering 27 has adhered theretoand the broom is then completed in construction by placing the curved metal cap 37 having a central opening 38 for passage over the broom handle 29 to the head of the broom fiber asshown in Fig. 10, and in which position a staple 39 is employed whichis driven into the cap 37 and fabric covering=; 2'"(- as shown in Fig. l0 to straddle the reinforcing wire or band 33.

From the above detailed description of the invention it is thought thatthe same will be perfectly clear and while the form of the invention herein shown and described is what'is believed to be the preferred embodiment thereof, it is nevertheless to be understood that various forms, modifications and arrangements of the parts may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed. Y

lVhat I claim as new is l. A broom machine comprising a pair of pivotally connected clamping bars, 'an operating lever pivoted to one of said bars, link connections between said operating lever and the other one of said clamping bars, means for retaining the upper clamping bar in its uppermost position, a curved broom head gl'iide framecarried by the upper face of the lower clamping bar, said guide frame having late *al openin s therein and an opening in the closed end thereof, clamping plates positioned in said guide frame, lateral extensions carried by said plates extending through said guide frame side openings, cooperating locking means carried by the adjacent clamping plate extensions, and a positioning guide for the broom handle.

'2. A, broom machine comprising a pair of pivotally connected clamping bars normally spaced apart, means for moving the bars into closer relationship, clamping plates associated with the clamping bars, and cooperative locking means carried by the clamping plates.

3. A broom machine comprising a pair of pivotally connected clamping bars; link and lever connections between the clamping bars, a pair of clamping plates arranged between the elamping bars, pawls carried by the opposite sides of the lower clamping plate, and ratchets carried by the opposite sides of the upper clamping plate adapted for engagement with said pawls.

a l. A broom machine comprising pivotally connected clamping bars, means for closing the same, a broom head guide carried there by, and clamping plates positioned in said guide adapted to be moved adjacent each other and retained in such position, the

clamping plates and broom clamped between the same being bodily removable from the machine.

5. A broom making machine including pivoted clamping bars, clamping plates positioned between the bars and adapted for removal therefrom, and locking means for the clamping plates.

6. A broom making machine including 10 pivoted clamping bars, clamping plates p0- sitioned between the bars and adapted for removal therefrom, lateral lugs carried by the plates, and ratchet bars pivoted to the lugs on one plate adapted for engagement 15 Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). G. 

